The woman's name was Qingya, but neither her appearance nor her temperament lived up to the name's meaning of "elegant and refined." She smiled seductively and said, "Of course I trust you, Senior Brother Yann. Otherwise, I wouldn't have left my dear sisters from the Flower Rain Sect to follow you all by myself. You're one of the ten most outstanding disciples of the Mountain Sect, with a boundless future. You're certain to be a top contender in this trial. Let this little sister be the first to congratulate you."
Senior Brother Yann laughed with great arrogance. "Haha... I'll accept your auspicious words, Junior Sister Qingya. However, for these dozen or so weak Spirit Beasts before us, there's no need for this Young Master to lift a finger. The junior brothers behind me are more than enough to wipe them out."
The two of them spoke as if no one else was around, completely ignoring Jiang Jichen's presence.
Jiang Jichen watched them with cold eyes from the side, his face betraying no emotion.
'He had just heard them mention the Flower Rain Sect and the Mountain Sect, and some information flashed through his mind.'
Although there were many Sects in the Celestial Pearl Country, only a few were truly famous—like the Five Spirits Sect, which Ouyang Xue belonged to, or Jiang Ling'Er's Spirit Moon Sect. But when it came to the most powerful Sect, there was no doubt it was the Mountain Sect.
"Between the mountains and the earth, I roam free!"
It was said that the Mountain Sect was not under the jurisdiction of the Celestial Pearl Country. The status of the Mountain Sect's Sect Leader was nearly equivalent to that of the Celestial Pearl Country's Sovereign, a testament to the Sect's immense power.
If the Royal Race of the Celestial Pearl Country ruled the cities, then the Mountain Sect ruled the mountains and rivers.
But whether it was the Royal Race of the Celestial Pearl Country or the Mountain Sect among the rivers and mountains, they were nothing before a behemoth like the Heavenly Sword Alliance. Naturally, they could only obey its commands. For instance, their disciples were all required to participate in the Heavenly Sword Alliance's trial.
Then there was the Flower Rain Sect. This Sect wasn't particularly powerful but was famous for its all-female discipleship. They cultivated the Inner Charm Pill, and their Cultivation Techniques were mystical.
Seeing that the four young disciples from the Mountain Sect were about to make their move, Jiang Jichen, still holding Little Yue'Er, remained silent. He simply took a few casual steps, soundlessly moving into a blind spot safe from the dozen or so Spirit Beasts' attacks.
As the four young Mountain Sect disciples approached, they completely drew the attention of the dozen Spirit Beasts. Not a single beast was looking at Jiang Jichen anymore.
These dozen or so Spirit Beasts clearly sensed the threat from the four young men. Their fur bristled, and they let out low roars, ready to pounce at any moment.
"These dozen or so Low-Level Spirit Beasts... cutting them down is like slicing vegetables."
"Enough talk. Let's get to it."
...
After a brief, casual exchange, the four Mountain Sect disciples gripped their longswords and charged forward, their attack swift and aggressive.
SLICE... SLICE...
In the blink of an eye, the dozen or so Spirit Beasts had been slain, yet the four Mountain Sect disciples remained pristine, their clothes unstained by blood. They clearly hadn't exerted themselves; killing these dozen Low-Level Spirit Beasts was indeed an effortless task.
At that moment, Senior Brother Yann gave an order, "Gather up all the Spirit Beast Inner Cores. We're moving on to the next hunting spot."
Qingya smiled flirtatiously. "The Mountain Sect is truly worthy of its title as the number one Sect in the Celestial Pearl Country. Even your junior disciples are so capable, and Senior Brother Yann, you're a genius among them! You've already reached the Ninth Level Mortal Realm in your twenties. I'm sure you'll be able to step into the Innate Realm in less than a year."
Senior Brother Yann smirked with pride. "A year? I don't need a year. Half a year is all I need to enter the Innate Realm. When that time comes, I'll be qualified to contend for the position of Young Sect Leader."
"In that case, this little sister congratulates you in advance!"
Qingya's eyes were captivating, her voice bewitching. Just looking at her made Senior Brother Yann's heart race.
'Little bitch,' Senior Brother Yann thought viciously, even as a gentle smile played on his lips. 'Just wait until I become the Young Sect Leader. I'll definitely make you mine, or my name isn't Yann!'
This temptress before him seemed so open and available, but he'd never once managed to take advantage of her. She was just stringing him along with empty promises. On several occasions when he'd almost had her in his grasp, she'd managed to slip away with some irrefutable excuse.
As the two were speaking, the four Mountain Sect disciples finished collecting the Spirit Beast Inner Cores. It was then that they noticed Jiang Jichen, holding Little Yue'Er and watching them quietly from the side. One of them sneered, "These two lowlifes, big and small, are unbelievably rude. We saved their lives, and they haven't even said a word of thanks."
"You called them lowlifes, didn't you? What manners would they know? We should've just waited a bit longer and let the beasts tear them to shreds."
"Still, I just had a great idea. We could use them as bait to lure in more beasts. Our haul tonight would surely double."
One of them suddenly suggested this.
The eyes of the Mountain Sect members lit up; they all thought it was an excellent idea.
Without a hint of hesitation, Senior Brother Yann snapped his Jade Bone Fan shut. "Do it. Take them with us. Using humans as bait... why didn't I think of that before!"
"That's right! There are so many lowlifes out there. If we just bring a few in to use as bait, our gains will be beyond anything we could imagine."
The others all nodded in agreement.
Jiang Jichen's eyes turned to ice as he listened to Senior Brother Yann and his lackeys.
'As I thought. In the eyes of these high-and-mighty Cultivators, commoners are no different from livestock, to be slaughtered at will.'
"Hee hee," Qingya's charming voice suddenly rang out. "That little girl is quite something. So delicate and cute, and full of spiritual energy. She'd be a perfect disciple for my Flower Sect. Senior Brother Yann, can I take her with me? As for the bait, the young boy should be more than enough, right?"
"No! Little Yue'Er doesn't want to be separated from Big Brother!"
However, before Senior Brother Yann could even respond, Little Yue'Er had already cried out anxiously. Her voice, though tender and cute, was filled with the fear of being separated from Jiang Jichen.
"Don't worry, Little Yue'Er. As long as Big Brother is here, no one can take you away."